Petticoat.



UNITED STATES PATENT v OFFICE.

HUGO L. KLEIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PETTICOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming 102.11'. of Letters Patent N0. 722,854, datedMarch 17, 1903y Application filed November l0, IQZ. Serial No. 130,687.(No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HUGO L. KLEIN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPetticoats; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in petticoats or likeundergarments for women, and refers more specifically to a novel garmentpartaking of the character of both a petticoat and an underskirt.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A garment embodying my invention embraces in general terms an upper partmade' of knitted fabric embodying the usual band by which it is fastenedin place and a lower cloth part corresponding to the lower part of theusual underskirt and hung to and supported from said upper part of theknitted fabric. The upper knitted part of the garment is madesufficiently loose and elastic, so as to conform to the gure, andthereby give a clinging effect to the garment, while the lower or clothpart of the garment is preferably flared out to give a bell-shapedeffect thereto.

In the drawings, Figure l illustratesin position on a form a garmentmade in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an inner face view ofthe garment at the seam between the upper and lower parts thereof. Fig.3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3 Y3 of Fig. 2.

As shown in said drawings, A designates the garment as a Wholeconsisting of an upper tubular knitted part A and a lower cloth part A2.The knitted part of the garment is preferably made from woolen yarn andis of open-work, whereby is imparted thereto considerable elasticity,and is provided with the usual band a, by which the garment is fastenedin place. The lower part A2 of the garment may be made of muslin, silk,s atin, or other solid cloth and is shown as ruffled in a familiarmanner. Said lower part of the garment is shown as made of bell form, soas to give a flaring eect to the lower part of the garment.

The upper knitted part of the garment overlaps the lower part thereofand is secured thereto by means of parallel lines of stitches a'. Saidstitches extend through inner and outer stiifening-tapes a2 a3, one onthe inside of the knitted part of the skirt and the other on the outerside of the cloth portion of the skirt,vnear the top thereof. Saidstiffeningtapes give sufficient body to the overlapping parts of theskirt to make durable the seam by which said parts are united. Saidknitted upper part of the garment may constitute the support for thelower cloth part thereof; but inasmuch as the weight of the lower partof the garment may be sufficient to unduly stretch said upper or knittedpart of the garment I have shown means for supporting said lower part ofthe garment from the band a thereof.` The suspension of the lower partof the garment from the band a is effected through the medium ofvertical supporting-tapes B, attached at their upper ends to 'said bandand. at their lower ends to the seam connectingthe upper and lower partsof the garment, as herein shown. A number of bands will be provided,which will hold the lower part of the garment symmetrical, four being aconvenient number, two at the front and two at the rear of the garment.The supporting-tapes are herein shown as attached at their upper endsvto the waistband and free or unattached between their ends; but, ifdesired, the tapes may be stitched to the knitted part ofthe garmentthroughout their whole or part of their length. The seam between theupper and lower parts of the garment is located at or slightly I belowthe knees of the wearer, and the garment is made narrowest at this lineand is curved in graceful lines both upwardly and downwardly from saidseam. The flaring shape of the lower part of the garment gives freedomof movement to the wearers limbs when walking. y part of the lower partof the garment serve to give the required fullness to the garment and tothe dress-skirt over the same and also to emphasize thebell or Haringleifect of the dress-skirt.

The principal object of the invention is to The ilounces constituting'provide an undergarment of the character referred to over which adress-skirt may be tted, which is designed to produce a clinging eect inthe upper part of the dress-skirt and a bell-shaped effect in the lowerpart of the said skirt. As before stated, the elastic character of theknitted fabric in the upper portion of the garment causes the garment tofit snugly to the gure, and in practice said garment will be madesomewhat smaller than a garment would be made of solid material for thesame person, so that when the garment has been donned it will t closelyto the person and give to the garment a clinging effect, as beforestated. The dress-skirt is fitted over said undergarment so as to followthe lines thereof, and thereby give a clinging effect to the upper partof the outer or dress skirt and a bell or flaring effect to the lowerpart thereof.

I claim as my invention- 1. An undergarment for women comprising anupper tubular part made of knitted material and provided with awaistband, a lower part made of a stiier material and joined to saidupper part, and supporting-tapes attached at their upper ends to saidwaistband and at their lower ends to the garment whereby said lower partof the garment is supported from said waistband.

2. An undergarment for women comprising an upper tubular part made ofknitted material and provided with a waistband, a lower Haring part madeof a stiffer material and joined to said upper part and supportingtapesattached at their upper ends to said waistband and at Their lower endsto said lower part of the garment.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature,in presence of two witnesses, this 1st day of November, A. D.1902. Y

HUGO L. KLEIN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GEORGE R. WILKINS.

